1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a table flag holder, having applications particularly for manufacturers of office accessories or decorative objects.
The use of table flag holders has been known for a number of years, but the way in which they are used is developing. At international gatherings the different representatives of each nation are frequently distinguished by the presence of a table flag holder placed in front of the representative of the country in question, the flag of course representing the national emblem of that country.
Table flag holders are also found amongst industrialists of anglo-saxon or far eastern countries who like to decorate their desks with the flag of the country to whose economic success they contribute.
This phenomenon is also developing in Europe where it is common to use not only one single flag but all of the emblems of the European Economic Community.
Until now the manufacture of the table flag holders has always been carried out on a small scale by craftsmen or on a semi-industrial basis. The table flag holder comprises a base surmounted by a pole at the end of which is attached the piece of cloth. The base and the pole are made from pieces of wood. The pole is turned, the base also, then it is necessary to pierce holes in the latter in order to place the pole or poles therein.
This piercing operation constitutes precisely the delicate part of the work which it is very difficult to automate. In fact, when several poles have to be put in place on one and the same base, it is desirable if not imperative to incline the different poles with respect to one another in order to distance the cloth banners. The piercing of inclined holes necessitates repeated operations on the base. A simple translation of the part is not sufficient, it is necessary to add a rotational movement in order to give the inclination during piercing of the hole.
The machining is complex and, because it requires numerous repeated operations, the cost of the part is high. It must also be emphasised that the different banners present on a base can be oriented in any manner whatsoever, which means that it is necessary during positioning of the poles to take particular precautions in order to orient the banners correctly.
Currently the manufacturing technique utilized for the production of the flag holders can be envisaged when it is a question of placing one flag per base, although the machining by individual turning, even carried out in series, is relatively long and therefore costly. However, when several poles have to be put in place on one single base, the current manufacturing techniques are quite unsuitable.